Polymer derived ceramics (PDCS) have been developed over the last 30 years and have been processed into bulk or macroporous components. PDCs are becoming increasingly popular in applications involving high-temperature resistant materials, hard materials, chemical engineering applications or functional materials in electrical engineering as well as in micro/nanoelectronics. See Colombo et al., Polymer-Derived Ceramics: 40 Years of Research and Innovation in Advanced Ceramics, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol. 93, No. 7, 2010, pages 1805-1837.
Sol-gel and Flame pyrolysis are typically used to make typical ceramic particles, and using an emulsion process has been known to make small size particles.
In a paper by Congwang Ye et al (“Ceramic microparticles and capsules via microfluidic processing of a pre-ceramic polymer”) Journal of the Royal Society Interface 6 Aug. 2010 vol 7 Supp 4 S461-473, Ye describes a laboratory emulsion process which produces oxycarbide particles in the 30-180 μm range. The problems with this laboratory technology include non-manufacturability due to tedious washing schemes and the use of partially cross-linked resins in the emulsion phase which will produce inconsistent products and poorer quality particles which will not be able to be produced above the 200 micron size range.
Larger beads, particles, balls made with porosity have been made but not any that are fully dense in the size ranges over approximately 300 μm.
Fully dense particles/beads/balls do not have porosity or the flaws of porous particles which should allow for better surface characteristics in terms of roughness and reduction of crack propagation.
The current developments of PDCs does not enable making PDCs to be fully dense in sizes over approximately 200 μm to approximately 300 μm.
Thus, the need exists for producing PDC particles in high volume manufacturing as well as producing unique particles in terms of size (large PDC particles) and unique in terms of composition.